How to apply to British International Investment (BII) as an African founder

TL;DR

BII is the UK's development finance institution. It writes $15M-plus growth-equity, debt, and guarantee deals directly into companies like TymeBank and Moniepoint, and it backs dozens of African VC and PE funds as an LP. Most founders will reach BII-linked capital indirectly, through a BII-backed fund GP, not through a direct pitch.

Who BII is

British International Investment deploys UK government development capital across Africa and South Asia, with a stated focus on democratising access to financial services for underserved retail customers. BII has invested twice in TymeBank (South Africa) and was part of Moniepoint's $110M Series C alongside DPI and LeapFrog.

What they invest in

Stage: Growth, companies with proven retail traction, not early-stage
Sectors: Fintech, infrastructure, and broader impact sectors across Africa and South Asia
Cheque size: Roughly $15M to $100M+ in direct equity, debt, or guarantee facilities
Route: Both direct equity into growth-stage companies and indirect capital as an LP in fund GPs

How to apply

There is no open pitch form for founders. If your company is genuinely growth-stage with institutional-grade traction, BII's sector teams can be reached directly through bii.co.uk. For nearly everyone else, the realistic path is indirect: BII is an LP behind a wide range of African fund managers (including several funds in this directory), so raising from a BII-backed fund is how most founders end up connected to BII-linked capital over time.

Portfolio pattern

TymeBank (South Africa) and Moniepoint (Nigeria, co-invested with DPI and LeapFrog) are BII's clearest African fintech bets, both growth-stage, both with proven retail scale before BII wrote the check.

Before you apply

Have these ready if you're at growth stage and reaching out directly:

Deck: Check your readiness first so you know where the gaps are
Metrics dashboard: Set up your metrics dashboard to show institutional-grade traction
Audited or reviewed financials
A clear impact narrative: BII explicitly tracks reach to low-income and women customers

FAQ

Can early-stage founders pitch BII directly?

Realistically, no. BII's direct deals are growth-stage. Early-stage founders are better served raising from a BII-backed fund GP first.

Is BII a typical VC?

No. BII is a development finance institution funded by the UK government, blending commercial return with development impact metrics.

Does BII only do equity?

No, BII deploys equity, debt, and guarantee facilities, sometimes in combination for the same portfolio company.